Parking-Obsesssed West Side Community Board Snubs Ask For Loading Zone - Streetsblog New York City

"Members of Manhattan's Community Board 7 yet again put car storage first when they shot down a modest request by residents of an Upper West Side apartment building to turn free parking into a loading zone for safer drop-offs and to reduce double-parking. Dwellers of the Astor condominium at W. 75th and Broadway asked the civic panel to back their push to repurpose just two spots at their entrance into a loading zone, to provide a safe space on the chaotic and busy corner."

"But the unelected board members were too concerned about losing more free car storage, and once more put the needs of the neighborhood's minority of car owners above safety concerns raised by several residents who testified at the board's monthly meeting last week. "We're already losing tons of parking spaces as it is for various reasons, and the more loading zones we have, the less parking we have," said board member Josh Cohen at the Jan. 6 meeting."

"The building has some 100 units and sits across the street from two grocery stores, Citarella and Fairway, which draw heavy traffic and double-parking, which creates dangerous conditions for residents, according to the head of the building's condo association. "Someone's trying to shoot in between and you have kids getting out of cars, it creates a real safety issue," Vijay Brihmadesam told CB 7."

Manhattan Community Board 7 rejected a request by Astor condominium residents at W. 75th and Broadway to convert two parking spots into a loading zone. The building's condominium association cited heavy traffic and double-parking from nearby grocery stores creating dangerous conditions for drop-offs, school buses, and children. Several residents testified in favor, describing safety hazards. Board members, including Josh Cohen, argued that increasing loading zones would reduce already scarce parking and set a precedent leading to further loss of free car storage. The decision prioritized parking availability for vehicle owners over proposed safety improvements.

Read at Streetsblog